Gummed cloth



Aug. 25, 1931. 'c H. CROWELL I 1,826,050

GUMMED CLOTH Filed May 24, 1927 INVENTOR.

BY wwflwza;

ATTORNE Patented Aug. 25, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE] CHARLES H. CROWELL, OF FAIRYILLE, PENNSYLVANIA GUMMED CLOTH Application filed May 24, 1927. Serial No. 193,820.

invention, a layer of paper which may have.

been previously split, may be combined with an open mesh cloth by means of suitable adhesive to form a composite web. The paper layer may be applied either to one side of the cloth to both sides, to form either a single composite web or a double composite web.

The composite web may then be suitably wetted by a wetting mixture which may 1nclude waxes and sizing, and then passed to a suitable calendaring machine where the felted paper is pressed thoroughly into the mesh of the cloth under suitable conditions of heat and pressure. The composite web, if single, may have attached to the more pronounced paper side a suitable layer of attaching adhesive, and to the more pronounced cloth side suitable finishing waxes may be applied. In the case of a double composite web attaching layers of adhesive may be applied to either one or both sides, or suitable layers of waxes or other calendaring material may be applied to either one or both sides.

Composite cloths according to the invention, find commercial use for shade cloths,

book coverings, bags, tapes and many other articles.

Various other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following particular description and from an inspection of the accompanying drawings.

Theinvention also consists in certain new and original features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafterset forth and claimed.

Although the novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims appended hereto, the invention itself, as to its objects and advantages, the mode of its operation and the manner of its organization may be better understood by referring to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, in which Fig. 1 isv a diagrammatic representation of a single composlte fabric of the invention before the paper layer has been forced into 1' the cloth.

Fi s. 2 and 3 represent, diagrammatically, the nished single and double composite fiber filled woven fabric respectively; and

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic representation of apparatus used for performing the various steps in the process.

In the following description and in the claims parts will be identified by specific names for convenience, but they are intended to be as generic in'their application to similar parts as the art will permit.

Like reference characters denote like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings (Fig. 1), a suitable web 1 of open mesh fabric, which may be light gray goods, may have suitably applied thereto a layer 2 of suitable adhesive. material, such as an adhesive having a starch base, or any of thegums. A layer 3 of paper which preferably has been previously split, may be applied to the adhesive and the paper web 3 and cloth web 1 may be firmly pressed together by passing between suitable rolls.

The resulting composite web of cloth and paper, denoted by 4 in Fig. 4, may then be passed through suitable wetting rolls 5, where a wetting mixture 6 (Fig. 1) may be applied to the paper side of the composite web 4. In Fig. 4 the continuous line indicates the paper web and the dotted line in dicates the cloth web. The Wetting mixture may be water having suitable parts of waxes and sizing incorporated therewith. By means of the particular arrangement of wetting rolls 5 shown in Fig. 4, the amount of wettingmixture applied to the paper Webmay be controlled very nicely so that an infinitesimal amount may be applied, if desired.

The appearance of the composite web at this stage will be somewhat as shown in 1. The composite web is then passed to a" super-calendaring machine 8, indicated dia- Fig.

grammatically in Fig. 4,. which comprises alternate cast iron, steam heated rolls 9 and rolls 10 having a fibrous covering such as of paper or cloth. The composite Web 4, is passed between these rolls, and is shown with the paper side facing the cast iron rolls to prevent sticking. The composite web is subjected to both heat and pressure in the calendar, and each part of the Web 4 has positive contact with the rolls throughout the entire extent of the calendar from its introduction to its exit, to prevent shrinking. The composite web may be substantially dry when it issues from the calendar.

The wetting mixture may be applied hot, and, in any case, it spreads easily and soaks into the paper web 3 of the composite web. The rate of travel of the composite web 4 and the distance between the wetting rolls 5 and super-calendar 8 is such as to allow suflicient time for the wetting mixture to spread and properly saturate the composite web.

The wetting mixture impregnates the pa per web, softens it, and the first rolls of the calendar 8 thoroughly press the homogeneous mass denoted by 1.1 in Fig. 2, of felted paper fibers, adhesive, waxes and sizing into the open mesh of the cloth. The other rolls of the calendar dry and iron the composite web while the homogeneous mass of paper, adhesive, waxes and sizingis in the open mesh of the fabric.

' After the super-calendar, the composite web which is now a filled fabric, and denoted by 7 in Fig. 4, may pass between gumming rolls 12 where gum or other adhesive 146 may be applied to the more pronounced paper side for attaching purposes, and further on the web maypass between waxing rolls 13 where suitable wax 15 may be applied to the more pronounced cloth side to give the proper finish. 7

It will be understood that the cloth used may be initially colored or dyed to any desired color, and also the paper may be initially colored, if desired. The product may be suitably delivered and packed in sheet as shown in Fig. 3, an initial composite web form, or may be wound up into bundle rolls. In order to make the double composite web of cloth 20 with layers of paper adhesively secured to both sides may be subjected to a similar process as above described in connection with the single composite web. the wetting mixture being applied to the paper coating on both sides of the double composite web.

The wetting mixture softens the paper and adhesive and the homogeneous mass (denoted by 21 in Fig. 3) of softened paper, adhesive, waxes and sizing on both sides of sides of the cloth are pressed through the cloth and contact and unite and interlock with each other to form a fiber filled woven fabric. If desired, a suitable la er denoted by 22, of either attaching adhesive or wax, may be applied to either one or both sides of the double composite fiber filled woven fabric.

The advantages of the new product will be obvious upon due reflection. The paper and cloth has more intimate relation than heretofore obtained in so-called fiber filled cloths, and the paper, having been initially felted, is applied in an absolutely uniform layer, Furthermore, the paper will not peel off due-to the intimate connection with the cloth. The resultant article is much stronger than prior articles of a similar nature, and has a much superior appearance. The surface is superior for printing or embossing, and the cloth, when cut, does not unravel orcurl at the cut edges.

Although certain novel features of the invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the several steps of the process and in its operation and in the form and details of the apparatus illustrated may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

, 1. A fiber filled composite gummed fabric comprising a composite web made up of a cloth backing, a split web of paper impregnated with sizing and waxes, said paper web having been pressed into intimate relation with, filling the mesh of, and adhesively secured to, said cloth backing, an adhesive attaching coating applied to the more pronounced paper side of the composite web to render said web adhesive, and a wax filling applied to the more pronounced cloth side of said composite web.

2. A fiber filled composite gummed fabric comprising a composite web made up of a cloth backing, a web of paper impregnated 111 hand.

y CHARLES H. CROWELL.

the cloth web may be pressed into intimate relation with the cloth and into the inter stices thereof. The paper fibers on opposite 

